It is known that many herbicides injure crop plants at herbicide application rates needed to control weed growth. This renders many herbicides unsuitable for controlling weeds in the presence of certain crops. Where weed growth in crops is uncontrolled however, this results in lower crop yield and reduced crop quality, as weeds will compete with crops for nutrients, light and water. Reduction in herbicidal injury to crops without an unacceptable reduction in the herbicidal action can be accomplished by use of crop protectants known as "safeners", also sometimes referred to as "antidotes" or "antagonists".
4-Benzoylisoxazoles are known to possess herbicidal properties, for example see European Patent Publication Nos. 0418175, 0487357, 0527036 and 0560482. European Patent Publication Nos. 0496630, 0496631, 0625505 and 0625508 disclose certain 1-phenyl-2-cyano-1,3-dione derivatives possessing herbicidal properties. European Patent Publication No. 0213892 discloses herbicidally active enols. These compounds possess very good levels of herbicidal activity, but at higher dose rates there can be a risk of crop phytotoxicity.
The present invention seeks to provide compositions of these herbicides for use in combination with antidotes therefor for reduction of injury to crops, especially wheat, due to phytotoxicity of these herbicides at certain dose rates or under certain conditions of use.